---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: More than anything else I recall being…"
description: "\"More than anything else I recall being, or trying very deliberately to be, a perfect child. Not a Goody Two-shoes, but a kid who did good, who worked h..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/405/james-mcgreevey-15663_achieve_more-than-anything-else-i-recall-being-o_512524.jpg"
---

#  More than anything else I recall being, or trying very…

![“More than anything else I recall being, or trying very deliberately to be, a perfect child. Not a Goody Two-shoes, but a kid who did good, who worked hard and met every expectation. I strove to achieve in the excessive way that psychotherapists tend to regard with concern.” quote by James McGreevey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/405/james-mcgreevey-15663_achieve_more-than-anything-else-i-recall-being-o_512524.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/405/james-mcgreevey-15663_achieve_more-than-anything-else-i-recall-being-o_512524.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/405/james-mcgreevey-15663_achieve_more-than-anything-else-i-recall-being-o_512524.jpg)

> “More than anything else I recall being, or trying very deliberately to be, a perfect child. Not a Goody Two-shoes, but a kid who did good, who worked hard and met every expectation. I strove to achieve in the excessive way that psychotherapists tend to regard with concern.”

[James McGreevey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcgreevey/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A desire to be the flawless child, meeting every expectation, can become an unhealthy pursuit driven by external approval.

**In simple terms:** Striving for perfection can be harmful.

Key Takeaway

Seek balanced self‑acceptance.

Themes

family expectations self‑image perfectionism

Mood

reflective serious

Type

personal psychological

When to use this quote

- parental expectations
- school performance
- personal development
- therapy sessions

Key Concepts

psychology identity formation social pressure

Questions to Reflect On

- What expectations are you truly choosing?
- How can you redefine success for yourself?

A Different Perspective

Perfection often leads to anxiety and burnout.

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[Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Expectations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expectations/) [Goody two shoes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goody-two-shoes/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Perfect child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfect-child/) [Psychotherapists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychotherapists/)

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